Her little girl was finally 13. It may seem like an ordinary day to everyone else. But to Judy, this was a huge deal. All day she sat in assembly rooms, listening to Yazda employees drone on about their yearly reports. She leaned back deeper into the uncomfortable pleather office chair, half paying attention to the monotone lecture. All Judy could think about was the disappointing look her daughter would have, after receiving her birthday present.
Although Judy had dropped a pretty penny on the upgraded mind implant, she knew it would do little to impress her daughter. That was the problem with Bridgit. Even since she was little, the girl wanted nothing to do with body mods or technological upgrades. The only care she had in the world was for art. In her free time, Bridgit would run over to Joypolis and play video games or hide in her bedroom sketching designs on her HTY112 Tablet.
As the voices quieted down, Judy stood up and began to listlessly clap. Her mind rolled back to her previous thoughts as she gazed out the window across the room. Off into the distance, the stacks of decrepit housing cast a dark shadow over the land surrounding it. Ironically, this displayed just how dangerous and lawless the area had become. With such a large amount of locals put out of work due to AsterCorp’s monopolizing construction, the poverty population has dramatically increased. With such a low appreciate for art in Manta, Judy knew that would be the only place that would offer her the perfect present she needed for Bridgit.
---
The crisp air conditioning swiftly left her body as she escaped out the front door of Yazda. The humidity hit her like a slap in the face, already dampening her skin and smearing the makeup technology she had so carefully applied that morning. Deafening voices surrounded her, as they did most days, demanding more jobs and higher pay in Manta.
The protests never produced any results and only helped to confuse business associates and corporate heads, allowing them to be easy victims to pickpocketing. Judy hurried along, jumpstarting her efficiency setting and cruising past the unwashed menaces.
Avoiding any Inter-City Transportation Capsules, Judy continued walking towards The Gridlock. None of her colleagues or neighbors would be caught dead walking this area of town. She looked both ways and dove behind an alleyway, her high heel shoes loudly clinking down the deserted street.
With another quick head turn Judy jumped behind a building, setting her clothing to a less formal attire. Switching from business casual, Judy adjusted her settings to a more casual wrap dress, with her same footwear. Donning this new outfit, Judy continued to casually parade down the streets, ever so often attempting to hide behind various buildings and trashcans.
Once she finally reached her destination, the smells hit her first before the sights did. There was a heavenly aroma of humitas, fritadas, and tostones. The dreary appearance of The Gridlock from the distance, did nothing to describe the scene in front of Judy. Large groups of natives poured in front of a bonfire, making a surplus of home cooked meals. There were smiles and conversations exchanged all around the camp, despite the conditions of their dilapidated homes.
From children to the elderly, most people wore ripped or worn-down clothing and appeared fairly dirty. But that did not stop the close quarters or affection. The people here held a camaraderie and friendship unlike Judy had ever seen. Returning to her alleyway, Judy sat down to compose herself.
“Okay, just walk in there. Ask for an artist. Get out.”
Rising once again, Judy swiftly infiltrated the premises by walking through the nearest broken fence. As her heels continued to sink into the surrounding dirt, Judy ran through the grass at a full sprint. It wasn’t until she almost reached the pavement that her heel stuck into the ground, leaving her face down in the grass.
Thoroughly out of breath, she rolled over and accepted defeat. Staring at the blue sky above her, she could hardly believe that this was still part of Manta. Leftover grass, no technology leading people directly to their homes, and even no major robots. So distracted in her thoughts, Judy failed to even recognize the impending footsteps.
“Ma’am, are you alright? You took a nasty fall.”
Judy sprung up, embarrassingly shaking her head and attempting to stand back up. With the instant blood rush, her vision began to blur and she felt herself laying back down again into the soft grass.
“I think I’m just fine here, but thank you…”
“Oh I’m David. David Travez. I can see you obviously haven’t visited here before. Or you wouldn’t be wearing those shoes, or the dress, or even half the amount of tech. Did you want to get robbed?”
With an exasperated sigh, Judy retorted, “I was being sly David. I already changed once and this seemed poor enough to me.”
David awkwardly shifted around, grimacing at her choice of words. Finally deciding to sit down he huffed and said, “You still didn’t explain why you’re here. What business could you possible have in The Gridlock?”
“My daughter.” Judy sat back up, readjusting her hair and dress. “She really likes art and I knew this would be the only place I might find an artist left in Manta.”
Straightening back up, David whipped his head back in the direction of Judy.
“What exactly were you looking for? Paintings from a certain era, sculptures, digital designs, collages, I have some ways to get whatever you might need.”
“Oh, I uh didn’t really think I would get this far. I’ll tell you what, give me the best five you have in any of those categories. It needs to be something a teen girl would like. I know you’re sick of those nutrient cubes, so I’ll give you enough food to supply the next two months of Gridlock family dinners. Sounds like a deal?”
Although Judy had dropped a pretty penny on the upgraded mind implant, she knew it would do little to impress her daughter. That was the problem with Bridgit. Even since she was little, the girl wanted nothing to do with body mods or technological upgrades. The only care she had in the world was for art. In her free time, Bridgit would run over to Joypolis and play video games or hide in her bedroom sketching designs on her HTY112 Tablet.
As the voices quieted down, Judy stood up and began to listlessly clap. Her mind rolled back to her previous thoughts as she gazed out the window across the room. Off into the distance, the stacks of decrepit housing cast a dark shadow over the land surrounding it. Ironically, this displayed just how dangerous and lawless the area had become. With such a large amount of locals put out of work due to AsterCorp’s monopolizing construction, the poverty population has dramatically increased. With such a low appreciate for art in Manta, Judy knew that would be the only place that would offer her the perfect present she needed for Bridgit.
---
The crisp air conditioning swiftly left her body as she escaped out the front door of Yazda. The humidity hit her like a slap in the face, already dampening her skin and smearing the makeup technology she had so carefully applied that morning. Deafening voices surrounded her, as they did most days, demanding more jobs and higher pay in Manta.
The protests never produced any results and only helped to confuse business associates and corporate heads, allowing them to be easy victims to pickpocketing. Judy hurried along, jumpstarting her efficiency setting and cruising past the unwashed menaces.
Avoiding any Inter-City Transportation Capsules, Judy continued walking towards The Gridlock. None of her colleagues or neighbors would be caught dead walking this area of town. She looked both ways and dove behind an alleyway, her high heel shoes loudly clinking down the deserted street.
With another quick head turn Judy jumped behind a building, setting her clothing to a less formal attire. Switching from business casual, Judy adjusted her settings to a more casual wrap dress, with her same footwear. Donning this new outfit, Judy continued to casually parade down the streets, ever so often attempting to hide behind various buildings and trashcans.
Once she finally reached her destination, the smells hit her first before the sights did. There was a heavenly aroma of humitas, fritadas, and tostones. The dreary appearance of The Gridlock from the distance, did nothing to describe the scene in front of Judy. Large groups of natives poured in front of a bonfire, making a surplus of home cooked meals. There were smiles and conversations exchanged all around the camp, despite the conditions of their dilapidated homes.
From children to the elderly, most people wore ripped or worn-down clothing and appeared fairly dirty. But that did not stop the close quarters or affection. The people here held a camaraderie and friendship unlike Judy had ever seen. Returning to her alleyway, Judy sat down to compose herself.
“Okay, just walk in there. Ask for an artist. Get out.”
Rising once again, Judy swiftly infiltrated the premises by walking through the nearest broken fence. As her heels continued to sink into the surrounding dirt, Judy ran through the grass at a full sprint. It wasn’t until she almost reached the pavement that her heel stuck into the ground, leaving her face down in the grass.
Thoroughly out of breath, she rolled over and accepted defeat. Staring at the blue sky above her, she could hardly believe that this was still part of Manta. Leftover grass, no technology leading people directly to their homes, and even no major robots. So distracted in her thoughts, Judy failed to even recognize the impending footsteps.
“Ma’am, are you alright? You took a nasty fall.”
Judy sprung up, embarrassingly shaking her head and attempting to stand back up. With the instant blood rush, her vision began to blur and she felt herself laying back down again into the soft grass.
“I think I’m just fine here, but thank you…”
“Oh I’m David. David Travez. I can see you obviously haven’t visited here before. Or you wouldn’t be wearing those shoes, or the dress, or even half the amount of tech. Did you want to get robbed?”
With an exasperated sigh, Judy retorted, “I was being sly David. I already changed once and this seemed poor enough to me.”
David awkwardly shifted around, grimacing at her choice of words. Finally deciding to sit down he huffed and said, “You still didn’t explain why you’re here. What business could you possible have in The Gridlock?”
“My daughter.” Judy sat back up, readjusting her hair and dress. “She really likes art and I knew this would be the only place I might find an artist left in Manta.”
Straightening back up, David whipped his head back in the direction of Judy.
“What exactly were you looking for? Paintings from a certain era, sculptures, digital designs, collages, I have some ways to get whatever you might need.”
“Oh, I uh didn’t really think I would get this far. I’ll tell you what, give me the best five you have in any of those categories. It needs to be something a teen girl would like. I know you’re sick of those nutrient cubes, so I’ll give you enough food to supply the next two months of Gridlock family dinners. Sounds like a deal?”
“I uh, yes, absolutely.”
“Okay great. I need help getting home.”